Subscriber&#39;s autoswitching system for intercommunicating telephones.



R. F. PICKENS. SUBSCRIBERS AUTOSWITCHING SYSTEM FOR INTERCOMMUNICATING TELEPHONES. APPucKfloN FILED -MAY 19. 1914.

1,152,968. Patented Sept. 7,1915.

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COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH :0, WASHINGTON, D. r

R. F. PICKENS. .SUBSCRIBERS AUTOSWITCHING SYSTEM FOR INTERCOMMUNICATING TELEPHONES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 19. 1914.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2 PatentedSept. '7, 1915.

:is unsatisfactory. And besides, it is customary. to close the central exchange at 8 Bonnier r; 15IGKENS,OFST. nouisnis'sounr,

s'rATEs PAT N QFFEQE.

SUBSCRIBERS AUTO SWITCI-IING SYSTEM I NTERGO ll/[IVIIUNIGA'IING TELEPHONES. 7

communicating telephones, and consists in 15,

the novel construction hereinafter described and specifically designated in .the appended claims.

My invention is especially adapted for use on ruralparty lines. I

fTo understand my invention it is necessary to understand the conditions under whichit is to be used. M i M In many rural districts, several parties or stations are connected on one line (which is used in common by them all and usually from ten to twenty parties on a line) Sometimes one line will not acconnnodateallwho would like to get on it, and it is then necessary to put up another line, in whichcase the stations are divided" between the two lines, which if desired may be run on the same poles. The two. lines terminate in a central exchange, and when a, party on one line wishes to talk to one on the other line, the two lines are connected at central and and the two parties are thus connected over the two lines. Butewhile they are talking they necessarily hold both lines, and if they chance to be far out on the lines the resistance of thelines is so great that the-service oclock in the evening, and'the parties on different lines are thus prevented from communicating from 8 oclock in the evening until '7 oclock 1n the morning;

The object of my invention is to overcome these difiiculties.

To avoid the difliculties above mentioned, I consolidate the two lines into what is called an intercommunicating system,- by installing at each station a switch which is hereinafter described.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a plurality of-telephone stations connected in accordance with myin- Specification of Lettefsiiatexit.

Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

Application filed May 19, 1914. Serial N 0. 839,651.

'vention to a pluralityof lines by a ground circuit; Fig. 2 is'a similar v ew of aplu rality of telephone stations connected accordance with my invention to a plurality of all, metallic lines. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic plan of thestation instruments shown at'the left hand of Fig. 2; Fig. 4: is a plan view of they station instruments shown in Fig. 1, with the parts enlarged and partly broken away; and Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the same.

v The numerals 1, 2, 3, 4; and 5 (Fig.1)

indicate the main-line wires, which pass through all the stations, or rather are connectedthereto by wires 1*, 223 ,4 and 5f.

A plurality of stations are indicated by they letters A and B, and there may be anynumber of such stations andwires on'a system. *Each station is normally located on a certain line, and when; notin use is left connected to thatline,and when wantedis calledi over the line on which itis located.

Said main-linewires terminate in theusual central exchange.

Each station is fitted with the usual telephone-set, comprising the transmitter 6,

call-bells- 7 operated by either acommon magnetoor by battery,;and-receiver 8. At

each station, also, I; locate one of my improved party-calling and receiver-hook blocking switches, which will now be described in detail. 7 7 I The numeral 9 ind cates'a rocking switch- .blade, which is nearly \l-shaped inPlan View, and pivotally mounted upon a bracket 10 by a screw 11. In the present instance, 7

the pivotal-point of the said switch-blade is located at about midway of the length of said blade, so that when said blade is rocked into oneposition' onev of its ends will contact with a contact-spring 12, and when said 7 j blade is rocked in an" opposite direction its opposite end will come into contact with another contact-spring 13, and connection with said first-mentioned contact spring will bebroken. Said bracket 10 and the contact springs 12 and 13 are allelectrically insulated from each other by'being mount- ,ed on--a base 14; of porcelain or other suitable insulating material, and said base is .in turn mounted upon aboard 15; or, if

desired, the said insulating base 14: may be secured to, the wallor some other object directly back of the said receiver 8. The said contact-spring 13 of the switch-blade 9 is connected throughits binding screw 16 i to the line 1 by the said Wire 1 and said bracket 10 is connected (through its binding-screw 17 to the usual binding post 18 ,of the, station telephone set by a wire 19.

Said telephone set has, of course, the usual electrical-connections within and upon its box 20 for its call-bells 7 and its receiverhook 21, and said set is grounded by a wire .22 connected to the binding-post 23. 10'

VVhere only two lines are to be consolidated, one line is connected to the contact spring 12 and the other to the contact spring 13 and in that case the switch block 14 need contain only those two contact'points, but

where more than two lines are to be consolidated the connectlons are to be made as hereinafter described.

"against which said screw-urges said radial arm; whereas by such construction said radial arm may be swungaround by means of its handle 27 unt1l1ts free end comes into contact with any one of a series of contacts 28, 29, 30,31 arranged in a segmentalrelation upon said insulating base 14, the said wire 2 being connected to said contact 31, the SZLlCl wire 3 belng connected to said contact 30, the said wire 4 being connected to said contact 29,'and the said'wire 5 being connected to said contact 28. By manipulating said radial-arm 24, the subscriber at any of the stations A, B, &c., may connect his telephoneset to any'of the lines 1, 2, 3, &c., and disconnect his set therefrom at will.

Said blocking switch-blade 9 is provided a with a suitable handle. 32, by means of which it may be rocked in making and breaking connections with said contactsprings 12 and 13. V

The operation of the ground system above described is as follows: The normal condition of the parts is, ofcourse, with the receiver 8 on its hook 21, and with the handle 32 of said blocking switch-blade thrown to theright, as shown in Figs. 1, 4 and 5, at which time all the subscribers on line 1 will be connected to the central exchange, and may be called therefrom over said line; the current passing from the latter to said wire 1 thence to said bindingscrew 16 of said contact-spring l3, thence to said switch-blade 9, thence to said bracket 10, thenceto said binding-screw 17, thence by way of wire 19 to said binding-post 18, thence to the call-bell connections, to the said binding-post 23, and thence tothe ground by way of said wire 22. If the subscriber at one station desires to call the subscriber at another station, the handle 32 of the said'switch-blade 9 at said calling station is thrown to the left, which will compel the receiver 8 at the said calling station to be removed from its hook, and

also disconnect said switch-blade from said contact-spring 13 which is connected to said radial arm 24 of said calling station, therebreaking the bell-circuit through said wire 1 and the main line 1, but (if said radial arm 24 at the calling station is in the position shown in Fig. 1) establishing the circuit through said contact-spring 12, screw 25, radial arm 24, contact 28 and wire 5" to main-line 5, whence current passes over the wire 1 of the called station and thus completing the circuit from said calling station A'to said station B.

By merely adjusting the radial-arm 24 at the calling station, it may be placed in connection with any of the contacts 29, 30, 31, &c., and the desired station on any ofthe lines 2, 3, 4, 5, &c., may be called by proceeding in the manner above described.

I here call attention to an important part of my invention, which is the receiver blocking switch -handle arrangement shown; more clearly in Figs. 4 and 5, in which it will be seen that the handle32 of said switch-blade 9 necessarily stands directly across the path of the receiver while the latter is being replaced upon itshook 21, and blocks the entrance of the receiver between the forks of said hook, with the result that before the receiver can be replaced on said hook the user will becompelled to throw said switch-handle to its normal position, and thereby connect the telephone to the line to which it is apportioned, ready for a call from the central exchange or from another station.

It is obvious that if a user should forget to throw said switch-handle 32 to its normal position, as described, after having called another station, as described, such oversight would leave the calling station disconnected, so that it could not be called by another station, and hence the importance of the blocking switch-handle arrangement.

The all-metallic Zine system.ln the allmetallic line arrangement illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, the invention is essentially the same as that above'described in connection with the ground-wire system, but the contacts on said base 14 are in the form of pairs of plug-sockets 33, 34, 35, 36, &c., into which is inserted a double plug 37 whenever it is de sired to connect the individual plug-sockets pose of separating the individual plugs composing the pair. Said pair ofplug-sockets 33 is connected to its pair of main line wires by'a pair of wiresA-G, and the said pairof sockets 3A is connected tov its pair ofline wires by a pair of wires 45; the said pair of sockets 35 is connected to its pair of line wires by a pair of wires 44, and the upper pair of sockets is connected to its pair of line wiresby a pair of wires 43. In this all-metallic line arrangement the said switch-blade 9 audits connections are used in duplicate, that is two switch-blades are mounted one below the other, in the manner previously described as to the contactsprings 12 and 13, and said double switchblades are mechanically connected (but insulated) by a body of insulation 32". The

upper switch-blade bracket 10 is connected to the said binding-post 18 of the station telephone-set by the wire 19, and the lower switch-blade bracket is connected to the binding-post 23 of said setby a wire 47. A pair of wires 38 connect the upper and lower contact-springs 13 to their pair of main-line wires in each set. A pair of flexible wire-cords 48 connect the plugs of said double plug 37 to the upper and lower contact springs 12.

The operation of the (ZZZ-metallic system.- The operation of the all-metallic system is, obviously, the same in all essentials as that of the ground-line system previously described, and need not be elucidated except to say that the double-plug 37 and the series of plug-sockets 33, 34, &c., are used in the manner described in calling the various stations. It will be observed that in Figs. 2 and 3 the blocking handle 32 is shown thrown to the left, in position for calling a station, and in position to block the placing of the receiver on its hook 21, A skilled mechanic can readily trace the path of the current through the various lines and connections, "and I therefore do not deem it necessary to trace the path of the current through said lines and connections in the all-metallic system.

' I do not limit myself to the exact construction herein shown and described, as it is evident that the same may be varied by skilled mechanics without departing from the scope of my invention.

I I am aware that the broad idea of an intercommunicating telephone system is not new, but as a rule the switching device of allsystems known to me is made in connection with the telephone box, and to install a system as "herein described'with those devices it would be necessary'to put in anew telephone set at' each' station, and a'principal object of my'finvention is to provide ways and means whereby two or more telephone lines maybe,,consolidated 'into an mt'er communlcat ng system without going to the expense of putting in a new telephone set at each station. Furthermore, in some of the intercommunlcatlng telephone systems of the prior art, careless users neglect ,to replace the connecting-wedge or plug where it properly belongs, after conversing over another line; thereby leaving the tele phone disconnected from the line towhich it belongs. I have efiectually'overcome this objection by placing the handle 32 of my blocking 7 switch directly in .the way of the receiver 8, so that in replacing the receiver on its hook 21, the user, no matter how careless he may be, is actually compelled to throw said handle to its normal position, and to thereby restore the telephone to the line to which it belongs. In order that the said switch-handle 32 may have just the right amount of throw to make and break the circuit through its switch blade 9 and the connecting-springs 12 and 13, and, at the same time, cause the said handle to obstruct the replacement of said receiver on its hook, it is essential that the said blade be made with two ends or arms which shall project one on each side at the special but, different angles shown in Fig. 4.

I claim 1. In a telephone system having a pluwith another station, and a party line switch having a handle arranged to stand directly across the path of the telephone receiver while the latter is being replaced upon its hook to block the entrance of the receiver betweenthe forks ofsaid hook until said handle is moved toa position which will restore its telephone to the line on which it belongs.

2. In a party line telephone system, the combination of a plurality of main lines, a plurality of stations connected to said lines, calling and telephone instruments in each station, said telephone instruments having the usual receiver hook, means at each station whereby the telephone user thereat may communicate with other stations, and a party line switch at each station having a handle arranged to stand directly across the path of the. telephone receiver while the latter is being replaced upon its hook to prevent the receiver being placed upon said fork until said switch has been thrown to a position Which will restore its telephone to the line .on Which it belongs. V

having the usual receiver-support and receiver, and a substantially V-shaped switchblade having a mechanical portion arranged to block the path of said receiver in its movement of being replaced upon said receiver-support during the time that said rename to this specification, in presence of two 15 subscribing Witnesses.

ROBERT F. PICKENS. Witnesses E. L. WALLACE,

JOHN C. HIGDON. s

Copies of this patentmay be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G, 

